SUPERMARKET staff in York got on their bikes to raise almost £2,000 for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal - and keep the memory of a beloved colleague alive.

Leeds woman Jane Tomlinson, who has terminal cancer, completed a gruelling bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End on Friday in an attempt to raise £100,000 for four charities, SPARKS, Cancer Research UK, Hannah House Care Home and The Paediatric Acute Services at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.

This weekend, staff at Asda in Monks Cross did their bit to boost Jane's appeal by setting up two exercise bikes in the store and covering the same distance of 1,060 miles.

They were inspired by their colleague Shirley D'Andilly, who received chemotherapy treatment with Jane, but died.

An Asda spokeswoman said all the staff got involved in the event and they raised £951, which will be boosted by a head office donation of £1,000.

She said: "We were given two exercise bikes by Courtney's Gym and over the Saturday and Sunday we covered the 1,060 miles that Jane did.

"We thought we wouldn't make it at one stage, but we got there in the end.

"Everyone had 15 minutes on a bike, and Gavin Mears took the prize for covering the biggest distance. He did about nine miles in 15 minutes."

Updated: 09:04 Tuesday, April 15, 2003